I am disappointed, angry, and upset. I feel betrayed. Today Forbes magazine posted the worst so called news article I’ve ever read. In which a reporter talked about how people are using Celiac Disease to cover up an eating disorder. I can’t find the words to express how upsetting this whole thing is. You can read the article if you want here

I give you just a few response from the gluten-free community on this:

I will let the rest of the gluten-free world correct you on this, because trust me, they will.”

I would love to correct her on this!! We have SO many good food to eat! Sure at first every person diagnosed feels as if they don’t have anything to eat. But after a little while you begin to heal and enjoy eating again you also begin to discover LOADS of new yummy GF foods! They taste great and are more healthy for you too!! I wasn’t exactly a junk-food addict before going gluten-free but no that I am GF I find myself enjoying healthier snacks more because they just TASTE BETTER!! My family eats the same foods I do for the ‘family meal’ 85% of the time and they all love it! It’s also made me more aware of WHATS in my food, and because of that I eat healthier overall.

“So, please, don’t label the gluten-free diet a danger, a fad diet, etc. Respect it. Thank your lucky stars that you don’t have to follow it and that you are fortunate enough to not have to scrutinize everything that goes into your mouth.

Anorexia and other eating disorders are a real danger and are not to be taken lightly, but don’t blame the gluten-free diet. An anorexic could just as easily claim that he or she is vegan/vegetarian, allergic to peanuts, shellfish, etc. Those aren’t the causes of eating disorder; they are simply the excuse of the day.”

I love these two paragraphs because they really say it all so I’ll let them stand on their own 🙂

This is what I had to say on the matter:

Its time for the GF community to stand up to companies like ‘Forbes’ and ‘Times’ and let them know THIS IS NOT A FAD!! The biggest problem I faced when I was first diagnosed was people treating it like it was a choice and all in my head. It did not make my life or transition any easier. It made everything worse.

“As a celiac patient-expert, the author of three books on gluten-free cooking and living gluten free, a nationally-recognized speaker on the gluten-free lifestyle and an industry consultant, I must say that I am shocked that Forbes would publish an article blaming a “gluten-free diet” as the latest excuse for eating disorders. The actions of a few always seem to get the attention of the press, while the needs of millions of Americans — for whom a gluten-free diet is a medical necessity — are ignored.

This month is celiac awareness month. On May 4, 1in133.org successfully built the World’s Tallest Gluten-Free Cake in Washington DC to call attention to the fact that the FDA has not set a federal standard for gluten-free food labeling laws, despite their mandate from Congress to have doneso by 2008. Studies released this year have shown that while 3 million Americans must eat gluten free forever due to celiac disease, 18 million more must adhere to a gluten-free diet due to gluten sensitivity.

The very real, daily concerns of millions of Americans who can’t trust the labels on food they need to feed their families somehow don’t merit the attention of Forbes, but a handful of teenagers with eating disorders blamed on a gluten-free diet is newsworthy?

Shameful.”

What do y’all think about this? I’ve made many attempts to post on forbes.com to no success but if you want to leave them a comment please do!